Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

There are many simple and inexpensive things you can do to have a greener home, which will save money as well as energy, and even small initiatives help. Making your house more environmentally friendly will add to its value. A new kitchen or bathroom is an investment, but even better, is an energy efficient home. Below are a number of energy saving ideas that you should consider when planning for a greener home. read more »

Having a compost heap and making compost is becoming an increasingly popular DIY activity. Why? Well it just makes so much sense for all the eco reasons, but also in terms of being a practical solution for getting rid of all manner of organic waste. It is also one of the easiest DIY projects that you can possibly do because there’s certainly no need to have any practical skills, and you can be up and running in half an hour – especially if you opt for one of the purpose made compost bins such as the one shown below. read more »

Fitting a water butt and diverter kit to a suitable downpipe is one of the simplest ways of saving water and making use of the thousands of litres of rainwater that runs off the average roof each year. A plastic downpipe is shown here, which is the easiest type to cut into. You can still fit a diverter if you have metal or cast iron guttering – see ‘Rainwater diverter for metal downpipe’. read more »

Fitting double-glazing film to your windows is a simple alternative to the much more expensive option of fitting UPVC or wood double-glazed windows and doors. Double-glazing film quite simply offers an insulating layer for draughty windows and therefore it also helps in saving on energy bills. Many people use this option just in the winter months because it is cheap and quick to apply, whilst still helping to keep the house warm. As far as DIY jobs go, it doesn’t get much easier. Double-glazing film is normally sold in kit form. read more »

Draught excluding isn’t confined to the edges of doors and windows, in fact two other places where draughts can be a problem are in the middle of a door – the letter box and the keyhole. Letter boxes have purpose made draught excluders that are simple to fit in place, and keyholes can be draught-proofed by fitting door escutcheons following the very simple procedure shown below. read more »